British Nationals Abroad

Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that his Department assesses all appropriate safeguards for UK nationals in (a) Nepal and (b) other areas where concerns over missing tourists have been raised.

Hugo Swire: The safety of British nationals abroad is of paramount importance to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. My hon. Friend will be aware from the written reply to her of 8 August from the then Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the hon. Member for Taunton Deane (Mr Browne), that one of the primary means we use to assist British nationals when they travel overseas to Nepal, or elsewhere in the world, is through our travel advice. This advice is based on information received from our diplomatic missions, local knowledge and contacts. The aim is to help British nationals make informed decisions about travel to a particular country. Our travel advice is regularly reviewed and will be updated in light of any incident or incidents that might affect British nationals travelling or living in the area. In general, we would only advise against all or all but essential travel to a country if we consider the risk of travel to be unacceptably high, and this will be reflected appropriately in our travel advice. The safety of British nationals when overseas, including Nepal—where most visits are trouble-free—is the responsibility of the authorities in the country concerned, in the same way that the safety of visitors to the UK is similarly the responsibility of the appropriate authorities here.

Burma

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the government of Burma on the treatment of religious and ethnic minorities in that country; and if he will make a statement.

Hugo Swire: The UK remains deeply concerned over reported human rights abuses in ethnic border areas, particularly in Kachin and Shan states, as a result of fighting between the Burmese army and armed militia, and the recent inter-communal violence between the largely Muslim Rohingya and Buddhist Rakhine communities.
	We remain one of the most active and vocal members of the international community in raising these concerns with the Burmese authorities and continue to condemn all instances where individuals face persecution or discrimination because of their faith or beliefs, wherever they happen and whatever the religion of the individual or group concerned.
	We have repeatedly called for the Burmese Government to put an end to the recent inter-communal violence in Rakhine state, to allow unhindered humanitarian access to the areas affected and a resumption of humanitarian work provided by the international community upon which many hundreds of thousands of Rohingya are dependent, to resolve the issue of nationality and to grant the full respect for human rights to all the people of Burma, notably the Rohingya.
	During his visit to Burma in January of this year, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), met the President, the Foreign Minister and the Speaker of the Lower House. The Prime Minister, during his visit to Burma in April, met with the Burmese President. During these meetings, both the Prime Minister and Secretary of State, respectively, set out clearly the steps which would be needed before a more fundamental shift in our relationship could take place, which included establishing a clear process of reconciliation with Burma's ethnic groups.
	Both the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State met a range of representatives from ethnic communities, including the Kachin, Rohingya, Shan, Rakhine, Chin, Mon, Karen and Karenni to hear more about their concerns and aspirations. We continue to stay close to these and other ethnic groups to ensure we remain seized of the issues they face.
	We are cautiously optimistic about the progress the Burmese Government has made since the Secretary of State’s visit in trying to rebuild trust with ethnic groups, including signing initial ceasefire agreements with some groups. We recognise that this process remains fragile and we continue to urge all parties to work towards a peaceful future for all of Burma's people.
	We are actively supporting the reconciliation process. The Prime Minister announced the allocation of an additional £5 million during Aung San Suu Kyi's recent visit to the UK for immediate peace-building activities. Our embassy in Rangoon also hosted a visit of UK experts in July with experience of trust-building and peace-building between communities in Northern Ireland. We intend to continue to draw on UK expertise in this area in order to support the continuation of the reconciliation process.

Climate Change

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps his Department has taken to help promote international action to tackle climate change.

Mark Simmonds: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) remains committed to climate diplomacy. British ambassadors and high commissioners make the argument for a global low carbon transition in their regular discussions with foreign governments. They are supported by our unique network of climate attachés throughout the world, as well as trade, investment, scientific, educational and economic teams promoting low carbon international co-operation.
	The FCO is now seen internationally as a leader in the international climate effort. This has been recognised by a number of countries, including China, which has shown considerable interest in the idea of a low carbon economy. Indeed, the recent Energy and Climate Change Select Committee report into FCO work in China particularly commended the work of our climate change and energy team in country.
	The FCO, while not a spending Department for the UK’s £2.9 billion International Climate Finance, plays a consultative role, sitting on the Board and Secretariat to provide a wider political overview. Our posts are heavily involved in identifying possible projects to support, and deliver projects in countries without a Department for International Development office.
	The FCO does, however, administer a Prosperity Fund, the purpose of which is to support policy co-operation between the UK and other countries, particularly the emerging powers. This fund has been instrumental this year in the passing of a climate change Act in Mexico (April 2012); the legislation for an emissions trading scheme in South Korea (May 2012); and the development of a Chinese version of the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s 2050 Energy Pathways Calculator, which is being launched in Beijing next week.

Commercial and Economic Diplomacy Department

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the introduction of its Commercial and Economic Diplomacy Department.

Hugo Swire: The Commercial and Economic Diplomacy Department is making a real difference to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) effort to support jobs and growth.
	Since its creation in 2011, the Department has helped to target the UK's economic diplomatic effort in other countries, and used insights and reporting from our overseas posts to help inform UK economic policy making, with the effect that we can better create and maintain an open economic environment globally, in which British business can compete.
	FCO Ministers and officials are working to boost trade by lobbying governments to reduce barriers to trade and to progress multilateral and EU bilateral trade agreements including the EU/Korea Free Trade Agreement.
	The Department has also published the FCO's Charter for-Business, and—working closely with the Department for Trade and Investment and businesses—is leading the FCO's delivery of the Charter's commitments which has included the provision of commercial diplomacy training to over 400 staff in London and key posts overseas as well as improvements in the way that we engage with business. Our recent survey found that businesses have experienced a step change in the quality of the FCO's support, although there is scope to improve further.

Cyprus

Ian Paisley Jnr: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with Turkey on Cyprus.

David Lidington: The presence of Turkish troops in Cyprus is one of the issues that will need to be resolved as part of a comprehensive settlement. Myself and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), discuss the settlement negotiations with our Turkish counterparts at every suitable opportunity.

Economics Unit

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the introduction of its Economics Unit.

Hugo Swire: The Economics Unit conducted an assessment of its business performance in 2011-12 as part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) annual review process. In its first year, the Economics Unit was judged to have put economics on the map in the FCO through the quality of its analytical work on a range of issues, including: the outlook for UK exports, the Eurozone, engagement with emerging economies, and the dynamics of economic transition in the middle east. The unit also received consistently strong feedback on its regular global economic briefing products and on providing economics training for FCO staff—in 2011-12, 238 staff completed a core training course. Together, these factors have helped ensure that UK foreign policy has been underpinned by strong economic understanding. The two key challenges identified were to: (1) improve the FCO's Human Rights model for economists as demand was outstripping supply; and (2) increase the unit's impact in Whitehall.

Foreign Investment in UK

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps his Department has taken to promote inward investment to the UK.

Hugo Swire: To encourage investment into the UK, the Government continues to focus on ensuring that the UK offers investors a globally competitive business environment for them to grow their business. This includes: creating the most competitive tax system in the G20 by cutting the main rate of corporation tax from 28% to 26% in April 2011 and to 23% by 2014—the lowest rate in the G7 and fifth lowest in the G20, and making the UK the best place in Europe to start, finance and grow a business by focusing on reducing the regulatory burden on business.
	UK Trade and Investment teams located overseas, as part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office network, are tasked with identifying overseas owned companies with innovative technologies that have the capacity and capability to invest overseas that would be beneficial to the UK economy. Supporting this overseas network in the UK is a dedicated support service for potential and existing investors—the Inward Investment Services Network. This service, delivered by UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), offers ongoing individually tailored support, and a single principal point of contact, for these companies to help embed them in the UK and to then expand their operations here.

Human Rights

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps his Department has taken to put human rights at the heart of UK foreign policy.

David Lidington: Human rights are essential to and indivisible for the UK's foreign policy priorities. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) produces an annual human rights report:
	www.fco.gov.uk/hrdreport
	which highlights the UK's global human rights achievements and sets out the challenges that remain. It also includes countries where we have the most serious wide ranging concerns on human rights.
	We recently launched an initiative on preventing sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict situations with the aim of strengthening international efforts and co-ordination to prevent and respond to these atrocities and to erode the existing culture of impunity. We are looking to use the opportunity offered during the UK G8 presidency to develop and agree international action. We have recently committed £750,000 to support work worldwide on business and human rights, including a project in Burma to ensure that companies investing there do so with respect for the human rights situation of that country and of those affected by their operations.
	On Syria, we have trained over 60 Syrian activists to document human rights violations and abuses to assist in any future accountability process. We are also supporting initiatives to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court. In response to events of the Arab spring, the £110 million Arab Partnership Fund is enabling us to help build more open and accountable societies in the middle east and north Africa, including through empowering women, and promoting greater transparency and the rule of law.

Human Trafficking

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the US administration's anti-trafficking initiative, launched at the US Consulate-General in Kolkata on 10 June 2012.

Hugo Swire: In line with the UK Government's strategy launched in 2011 aimed at tackling human-trafficking, the UK Government fully supports the US initiative to create a regional hub in Kolkata to support anti-trafficking work in South Asia. Within the South Asia region our overseas missions continue to work with our international partners to tackle human trafficking. As part of our strategy, and in consultation with our international partners, our deputy high commission in Kolkata also runs its own anti-trafficking programmes aimed at tackling this serious issue.

Minerals

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to find practical and sustainable solutions to the issue of conflict minerals.

Mark Simmonds: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is working with the international community to find practical and sustainable solutions to the problem of conflict minerals. The FCO has supported, developed and promoted the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas. played an active role in the development of supplementary guidance on gold and other minerals and funded a feasibility study by the OECD on a mechanism to monitor due diligence. We encourage British companies to adhere to these OECD guidelines. The FCO has also developed an online tool to help British companies who may be trading in minerals sourced from conflict-affected areas of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), or whose products include components that include such minerals.
	The FCO also provides support to the joint DFID and World Bank Promines programme, which aims to increase accountability and transparency in the DRC minerals sector. This wilt help legitimise the trade in minerals and ensure the proceeds stay out of the hands of armed groups.

Missing Persons

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his European counterparts on the location of missing persons arising from armed conflicts within Europe.

David Lidington: At the UK-Russia Human Rights Dialogue in July senior officials registered concerns in relation to the North Caucasus, including disappearances of individuals.
	The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), raised human rights and rule of law issues in Russia with Foreign Minister Lavrov when he visited Moscow at the end of May. The Prime Minister raised our concerns with President Putin when they met in Downing Street in August.
	The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been recording the number of missing people in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the August 2008 conflict between Russia and Georgia. Our embassies in Yerevan, Baku and Tbilisi are in regular contact with the ICRC on their ongoing work.
	The UK supports the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) based in Sarajevo, an organisation which assists governments in developing the institutional capacity to deal with the issue of missing persons and identifying victims from conflict. The UK has provided consistent financial support to ICMP since 2002 and supports its objective of promoting governmental responsibility for missing persons.
	The UK welcomes the excellent work of the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus. As a sign of support, the UK has contributed over £100,000. The UK also contributes to its annual budget through the EU.

Nepal

Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will ensure that his Department continues to proactively liaise with Nepalese authorities investigating the disappearance of Zismos Souflas, a UK national who went missing in Nepal on 24 April 2012.

Hugo Swire: My hon. Friend will be aware from the then Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the hon. Member for Taunton Deane (Mr Browne)'s written reply of 8 August to her correspondence on behalf of a member of Mr Souflas' family, that since learning that Zismos Souflas had gone missing we have been in close contact with the authorities in Nepal. Of equal importance, consular staff in Nepal and London have been, and remain, in contact with his mother. They have been passing on any information obtained through established lines of communication in Nepal, and continue to offer advice. I can assure my hon. Friend that we will continue to offer what consular support and advice we rightly can to Mr Souflas' family, including through regular liaison with the Nepalese authorities.

Overseas Companies

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to encourage British companies to operate responsibly overseas.

David Lidington: The Government urges all British companies to promote the highest standards of corporate governance and social and environmental responsibility, including adherence to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights and the UN's Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
	In line with the framework set out in the UN Guiding Principles, we expect companies to behave with respect for human rights wherever they operate.
	We have this year committed £750,000 in project funding to support work worldwide on business and human rights. This includes a commitment we have made to fund a project in Burma where the Institute for Human Rights and Business are establishing a resource centre to provide advice to companies, governments and civil society on implementation of the UN's Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

Somalia

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received from Somalia.

Mark Simmonds: Real progress is being made to end the transition in Somalia: the provisional Constitution was adopted on 1 August by an 825-member National Constituent Assembly; a new Parliament was convened on 20 August; and on 28 August, the new Parliament voted in a new Speaker, Professor Mohamed Osman Jawari. Criteria for presidential candidates have been agreed and parliamentary elections for president will take place on 10 September.
	The transitional period in Somalia will end once Parliament has elected a new president. As the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), said on 17 August, it is vital for Somalia to move towards a more legitimate and representative government that is accountable to the Somali people. Somalia's political leaders must maintain momentum by quickly identifying priorities for the next phase of Somalia's stabilisation, working to ensure the new Government and institutions are more accountable, transparent and credible in the eyes of Somalis.
	Progress is also being made on security. African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and government-aligned forces continue to improve security in Mogadishu, as well as make gains against the militant Islamist group, Al Shabaab. Most recently, on 28 August, AMISOM forces took the port of Marka.
	The overall food security situation has improved slightly following the Gu (seasonal rains) harvest, although two million people, down from 2.5 million, are still in need. The situation for many remains precarious and malnutrition rates for children under five remain high with some 230,000 severely malnourished children. Access for humanitarian agencies remains a challenge.
	As the Foreign Secretary announced in the House on 4 September, on 3 September, the British Office in Hargeisa formally opened in line with the Foreign Secretary's decision to establish a presence in Mogadishu and Hargeisa as soon as security conditions allowed. Work continues to provide expanded and more permanent office and living accommodation in Mogadishu to allow staff to be posted there on a permanent basis.

South Korea

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the benefit to the UK of the EU-South Korea Free Trade Agreement.

Hugo Swire: It is too early to assess the full impact of the EU-Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which only provisionally entered into force in July last year. However, a study by Copenhagen Economics for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, which leads on EU bilateral and regional trade negotiations, estimated that the long term benefit to the UK from the FTA is expected to be around £500 million per annum. 10 years after this trade agreement has been fully implemented, it is expected that the cumulative benefit to the UK economy will be around £3.3 billion in current prices.

Sudan

Ian Paisley Jnr: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reasons his Department was given for the arrest of the UK citizen Magdy el Baghdady in Sudan.

Mark Simmonds: The British embassy in Khartoum was not informed by the Sudanese authorities of Mr El-Baghdady's detention at the time of his arrest or thereafter. Since becoming aware of his case, we have provided Mr El-Baghdady with consular assistance and advice. We have demanded a full investigation of Mr El-Baghdady's treatment during his detention, but have not as yet been provided with any information by the Sudanese authorities. We continue to press for this.
	We have also sought assurances from the Sudanese authorities that they will in future comply with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, according to which we should be notified of the detention of a British national, if he or she requests it, and that the detainee should be informed of this right. It is unacceptable that this did not happen in this case.

Sudan

Ian Paisley Jnr: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the health and political status of Magdy el Baghdady after his release from prison in Sudan.

Mark Simmonds: Mr El-Baghdady gave consular officials a full account of his treatment while in detention, and the impact on his health. We have remained in contact with Mr El-Baghdady since his return to the UK, but cannot provide information on his health or political status. This is a matter for Mr El-Baghdady.
	We remain deeply concerned over the circumstances surrounding his case, and continue to urge the Sudanese authorities to investigate the matter.

Sudan

Ian Paisley Jnr: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Sudanese asylum seekers who are arrested in the UK are returned to Sudan.

Mark Harper: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Home Department.
	The United Kingdom will provide refuge to those who genuinely need it, in accordance with our obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights. The protection needs of individuals are considered on an individual case by case basis. Only when an application for protection has been refused and any statutory appeal right exhausted, would the UK Border Agency consider return.
	The UK Border Agency prefers those who have no legal basis to remain in the United Kingdom to leave voluntarily. Should the individual choose not to leave voluntarily then an enforced return would be considered on a case by case basis.

Western Sahara

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had discussions with the Moroccan authorities concerning the reported assault on Soukaina Jed Ahlou, President of Sahrawi Women Forum by members of the Direction de la Surveillance du Territoire in El Aauin, Western Sahara on 28 August 2012.

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise with the Moroccan ambassador reports of interference with the visit of the President of the R. F. Kenney Centre for Justice and Human Rights' El Aauin, Western Sahara on 28 August 2012 and an assault on Soukaina Jed Ahlou by members of the Direction de la Surveillance du Territoire.

Alistair Burt: The Government takes seriously all reports of allegations of human rights violations. We are aware of reports of the alleged assault on Soukaina Jed Ahlou.
	Officials from the British embassy in Rabat visit Western Sahara on a regular basis to discuss human rights concerns, including with the relevant local authorities. Our ambassador to Morocco also maintains a close dialogue with the Moroccan authorities on human rights issues.

Voluntary Work

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with (a) ministerial colleagues and (b) outside bodies on steps to draw upon the experience of Olympics volunteering in encouraging people of all ages and backgrounds to become more regularly involved in local volunteering.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
	This Government has recently given a £2 million grant to Join In, an exciting new charity set up to build on the volunteering momentum created by the London 2012 Games. We are working with LOCOG and voluntary sector organisations to capture the spirit of the Games and build a strong legacy by inspiring a new generation of volunteers.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Females

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women were issued with anti-social behaviour orders in 2011.

Jeremy Browne: Antisocial behaviour orders data for 2011 is due to be published on 18 October 2012.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Prostitution

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women received an anti-social behaviour order having been convicted of offences involving loitering and soliciting in the last three years.

Jeremy Browne: The Home Office does not hold the information requested.

Bahrain

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assistance the Metropolitan police has given to Bahraini security forces since January 2011.

James Brokenshire: There have been two deployments of Metropolitan police officers to Bahrain since January 2011, provided under section 26 of the Police Act 1996. In addition to this, the UK Police Counter Terrorism Liaison and Extremism Officer (CTELO) based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, maintains a liaison relationship on counterterrorism matters with the Bahraini authorities.

Cybercrime

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to increase the police and security services' ability to monitor criminal online activity.

James Brokenshire: The Government is committed to ensuring that law enforcement and intelligence agencies have the capabilities they need to protect the public from crime, disorder and terrorism, consistent with its wider approach to preserving civil liberties, including the right to privacy and safeguarding national security. Information relating to the activity of criminals online is critical to the investigation and often prosecution of their crimes.
	We recognise the need to ensure these capabilities are maintained in the face of new internet-based technologies. On 14 June 2012, the Government published the Draft Communications Data Bill, which is currently undergoing pre-legislative scrutiny. This proposed legislation will enable more of the communications data (the who, when, and where of a communication, but not its content) required by law enforcement and other agencies to be retained by communications service providers. It will also retain and extend the safeguards and oversight arrangements for the acquisition of these data that exist under current legislation, ensuring compliance with the European convention on human rights.
	The Home Office is also working with the police and social media industry to strengthen co-operation and ensure that the police are equipped to combat crime and disorder. This includes supporting the development of a capability which is vital for police to assess and identify potential criminality disclosed through social media and other online communication platforms.
	Law enforcement also play a key role in disrupting cybercrime and, as part of the National Cyber Security Programme, we are developing their capacity to deal with online crime. This has included, for example, increased resources in real terms for the Police Central e-Crime Unit (PCeU) in the Metropolitan police to tackle serious online crime.

Cybercrime

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress her Department is making in combating cyber crime.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office and its partners have made significant progress in combating cybercrime. As set out in the National Cyber Security Strategy, an effective approach to cybercrime requires a combination of prevention and enforcement activity and the Government has made significant progress in both of these areas since publication. This has been supported by the significant investment of the National Cyber Security Programme funding.
	Prevention:
	Effective partnership between the Government and industry on cyber security is crucial in protecting individuals and their data. The Government has committed £395,000 of additional funding to help expand "Get Safe Online" (GSOL) which is a partnership between the Government, law enforcement and private sector partners to help deliver advice on online security that is accessible to everyone.
	On 5 September the Government launched a Cyber Security Booklet to help companies to better understand how best to protect themselves against online threats.
	Reporting:
	By improving the level of crime reporting that takes place, we are improving our understanding of the level of cybercrime. We have made the reporting of online crime as simple as possible. By the end of this year, Action Fraud, the national reporting centre for fraud and internet crime, will have rolled out an enhanced version of its online reporting tool to speed up data input. This will benefit businesses and other users with multiple reports, by making it quicker to enter the data in one session.
	Additionally, to make it easier for fraud and cybercrimes to be reported to the police, by April 2013 all police forces in England and Wales will be using Action Fraud to record all reports made by members of the public and businesses. This means there will be one central place to report incidents of fraud and cybercrime directly or via the police, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at:
	www.actionfraud.police.uk
	This will provide a more streamlined and consistent approach to the local law enforcement response to fraud, and enable the disruption of organised criminal activity online.
	Law e nforcement:
	Law enforcement play a key role in disrupting cybercrime, and as part of the National Cyber Security Programme, we are developing the capacity and capability of law enforcement to deal with online crime. In real terms this has meant increased resource for the Police Central e-Crime Unit (PCeU) in the Metropolitan Police and the Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) to tackle serious online crime.
	We will build on these capabilities further still by, as part of developing the new National Crime Agency (NCA), bringing together the impressive work of SOCA Cyber and the Police Central e-Crime Unit to form the National Cyber Crime Unit, to tackle the most serious forms of online law enforcement in the UK and will provide resources, intelligence, and guidance on best practice to police forces.
	We have been supporting this with a continuing focus on mainstreaming cyber capability and capability across law enforcement more generally, such as the recent establishment of three regional policing hubs in the north-west, east midlands and Yorkshire and Humber.
	International w ork:
	Cybercrime is an inherently international challenge where criminal actions are not bounded by state borders. The Government has taken a strong lead in driving the international agenda to tackle cybercrime. Having ratified the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime we are working with other states to encourage them to adopt it too. We will be working with the Hungarian Government in organising the Budapest Conference on cyber issues that will be held in October. This is a follow up to the London Conference on Cyberspace that was hosted by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), in November 2011.
	To support our international work, we have provided funding from the National Cyber Security Programme to the Serious Organised Crime Agency to allow them to deploy Cyber Liaison Officers to a number of countries, to assist with international cooperation on investigations.

Internet

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the extent of use of social media for criminal purposes; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 6 September 2012
	The Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), met with representatives from Twitter following the August 2011 disorder. The Government continues to work closely with representatives from social media, industry, voluntary sector and the Association of Chief Police Officers on the use of social media for criminal purposes.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to answer the letter concerning Mr Mohammad Mirza Hussain sent to her by the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on 2 July 2012.

Mark Harper: My hon. Friend the Member for Ashford (Damian Green), replied to the right hon. Gentleman in a letter dated 24 July 2012.

Police and Crime Commissioners

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance she plans to offer to Police and Crime Commissioners on commissioning services for the support of (a) victims of crime and (b) witnesses of crime.

Helen Grant: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.
	Police and Crime Commissioners will not be issued with prescriptive guidance. Directly elected PCCs will be best placed to assess local needs in relation to a number of services that are relevant to policing and crime, including those for victims and witnesses. We expect that the needs of victims and witnesses will be one of the top priorities for PCCs in all police force areas.
	The Government has been supporting the Association of Police Authority chief executives to develop PCCs' commissioning capacity and skills, and equipping PCCs to commission services for victims and witnesses.

Police: Working Hours

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with police forces in England and Wales on police officers working on weekends.

Damian Green: The Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), holds regular discussions with representatives from police forces on a wide range of issues, including working arrangements for police officers.

Russia

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will publish the names of the 60 Russian officials she has sent to the Russian authorities in connection with the death of Sergei Magnitsky.

Mark Harper: holding answer 6 September 2012
	The Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), has sent no information to the Russian authorities about any individual who may or may not be connected to the death of Sergei Magnitsky.

Jack Beecham

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the cost to the public purse was of the appeal of Jack Beecham against conviction for assault heard in Liverpool Crown court on 11 to 13 July 2012;
	(2)  what the cost to the criminal justice system was of (a) proceedings against Jack Beecham from his arrest on 27 May 2010 on suspicion of assault to the conclusion of his appeal against conviction in Liverpool Crown court on 13 July 2012, (b) police, (i) time, (ii) legal advice and (iii) legal representation relating to that case, (c) collecting evidence for both sides in that case and (d) employing counsel and instructing solicitors for the prosecution in that case.

Helen Grant: As the right hon. Member is aware: Jack Beecham was arrested on 27 May 2010 and charged with assault. He underwent two sets of court proceedings in consequence: at Wirral magistrates court, where on 9 May 2011 he was convicted of assaulting a police officer: and at Liverpool Crown court where, on 13 June 2012 his appeal against the afore-mentioned conviction was overturned.
	The criminal justice agencies present in these proceedings were primarily: Merseyside Police: the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS): and Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals' Service (HMCTS). Under section 20(1) of the Access to Justice Act 1999. the Legal Services Commission are prohibited from disclosing any information relating to applications for legal aid.
	The costs to the Police, HMCTS and CPS are estimated and drawn together for the purposes of providing the right hon. Member with a response. They are set out in tabular form at Annex A and include the rationale behind the information provided. Costs cannot be broken down into specific elements of proceedings and nor can they be attributed to every case dealt with. Courthouses and police stations can accommodate numerous cases and individuals at any one time and. in the main, staff, police and judges will work on more than one matter per day.
	
		
			 Annex A:  Estimated costs to public bodies involved in the court proceedings of Jack Beecham (relative to his arrest on 27 May 2010) 
			 Public Sector body Costs rationale Cost of the magistrates court proceedings Cost of the appeal in the Crown Court Estimated totals 
			 CPS Costs per case are estimated. A sum payable to Counsel in respect of the Appeal is still to be finalised, so cannot be divulged. £400 £270 plus Counsel’s fee £670 plus Counsel’s fee 
			      
			 Merseyside Police The costs provided are an estimate of the police time spent in processing the case and the cost of detaining an individual in custody. They cannot be split between the magistrates and Crown court proceedings. £1,680 (time) £230 (custody)   
			   £1,910 n/a £1,910 
			      
		
	
	
		
			 HMCTS HMCTS bases it calculations around a court ‘sitting day’, assessed as 5 hours, which is the average time a matter is before a judge. Judicial cost: £110.00 Staff cost: £1094.00 Judicial cost: £992.00 Staff cost: £665.00 (1)£5,483 
			  Magistrates Court A case takes an average 3.5 hours to conclude (0.7 of a sitting day) £1,204 x 0.7 sitting days £1,657.00 x 2.8 sitting days (1)— 
			  Crown Court Jack Beecham’s appeal case is recorded as 14.2 hours, i.e. 2.8 sitting days. £843 £4,640 (1)— 
			      
			  Estimated totals £3,153 £4,910 plus Counsel’s fee £8,063 (Estimate) plus Counsel’s fee 
			 (1) Indicates a brace.

Personal Injury: Compensation

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of whiplash claims; and what assessment his Department has made of the merits of raising the threshold for soft tissue injuries in the small claims court from £1,000 to £5,000.

Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent steps he has taking to establish new standards relating to the evidence required and damages payable for whiplash.

Helen Grant: The Government will shortly publish a consultation document on the introduction of independent medical panels and on whether to amend the small claims threshold for damages for personal injury claims. The consultation document and its related impact assessments will be available to download from the Ministry of Justice website following publication.
	The Government is committed to finding ways of tackling fraudulent and exaggerated whiplash claims, while ensuring that people who have suffered a genuine neck injury can continue to get appropriate compensation. Contributions and evidence from stakeholders will be sought on ways to reduce the number and costs of whiplash claims, and on the potential impacts of these proposals on affected groups.

Probation: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will assess the effectiveness of procedures in place for the investigation of alleged misconduct by Essex Probation; what recent representations he has received on this matter; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Wright: All probation trusts are required to have in place a scheme for considering and responding to complaints. Trusts are also required to provide inquirers with information about the scheme, which must include arrangements for appeal against the initial decision.
	If the complainant is dissatisfied with the outcome of the complaints process, there is a further avenue of appeal to the prisons and probation ombudsman, where the complaint is made by or on behalf of an offender; in all cases, the complainant can ask the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration to investigate the trust's handling of the complaint.

Procurement

George Freeman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what procedures his Department has put in place to ensure it procures equipment from companies with the necessary intellectual property rights for any equipment it is supplying; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what procurement policies his Department has to support UK (a) small to medium enterprise suppliers and (b) technology, intellectual property and innovation.

Jeremy Wright: The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) has standard terms and conditions for its procurements which contain warranties on the part of the contractor to the effect that its works/goods/services do not infringe intellectual property rights and an indemnity for the benefit of the Ministry in respect of any liability arising out of any infringement.
	The MOJ supports the Government's commitment to helping small firms within an overarching policy of obtaining value for money. The MOJ has adopted processes and procedures that support this policy including:
	Publishing relevant opportunities on the MOJ website and Contracts Finder, the single Government portal for opportunities for over £10,000.
	Reviewing and updating tender documentation for simplicity and user-friendliness to support the Government's LEAN Sourcing programme.
	Consideration of the role of SMEs in delivering the requirements of the category in all category/sourcing strategies.
	Providing a mentoring and advice service to Departments that are breaking requirements into smaller lots for the first time.
	Reviewing supplier databases within our ERP systems to ensure that existing suppliers are correctly classified and that any new suppliers are similarly identified at first registration. This has enabled the Department to pay SMEs promptly within five working days.
	MOJ procurement policies and procedures support the Government's commitment to harnessing innovation procurement in order to deliver improved services, value for money, and to stimulate the competitiveness of businesses.
	Through early market engagement, as part of pre procurement activity, we seek to identify novel ways of delivering both new and existing requirements, thereby encouraging innovation and technological developments.
	Risk relating to IPR is managed through stringent procurement processes, assurance procedures and adherence to terms and conditions of contract.
	Ongoing proactive contract management builds supplier relationships with the intention of developing further innovation during the life of the contract.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what meetings have been planned or arranged with (a) the chairman of HS2 Ltd and (b) the Chief Executive of HS2 Ltd; and if he could list them.

Simon Burns: The Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Derbyshire Dales (Mr McLoughlin), is holding introductory meetings with a range of key stakeholders, including the Chairman and Chief Executive of HS2 Ltd.

Children: Poverty

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment she has made of the effect of the UK Government's welfare reform policies on levels of child poverty in Northern Ireland.

Michael Penning: Welfare reform and tackling child poverty are devolved matters which are the responsibility of Northern Ireland Executive Ministers.
	I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by the Northern Ireland Minister for Social Development, Nelson McCausland MLA on 26 April at:
	http://www.northernireland.gov.uk/news-dsd-260412-poverty-horror-for?WT.mc_id=rss-news
	in which he states:
	“...the impact of introducing Universal Credit will result in over 10,000 children being lifted out of poverty in Northern Ireland.”

Civil Disorder: Belfast

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment she has made of the recent disturbances in North Belfast; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Penning: The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chipping Barnet (Mrs Villiers), has discussed the matter with the First Minister and Deputy First Minister and welcomes the fact that local political and community leaders are now working to find a resolution.
	There can be no justification or excuse for this serious outbreak of violence. It causes fear and anguish for those living in the areas affected. I encourage all of those with influence in local communities to do all that they can to reduce the tension. Those who engage in criminal activity will of course continue to face the full force of the law.

Parades Commission

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment she has made of the work and role of the Parades Commission in Northern Ireland.

Michael Penning: The Parades Commission is the lawfully constituted body for making determinations on parading in Northern Ireland. The Commission has the full support of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chipping Barnet (Mrs Villiers), and I. We would urge all those with an interest in parading to work with the Commission and to abide by its determinations.

Terrorism

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment she has made of the activities of (a) dissident Republican groups and (b) Loyalist paramilitaries.

Michael Penning: The threat posed by dissident republican groups in Northern Ireland remains SEVERE. The Government remains fully committed to countering violence in all its forms and supporting the overwhelming majority of people who want to live without fear and intimidation.
	I am advised that the loyalist paramilitary leadership remain committed to their ceasefires, although there has been unsanctioned violent activity including involvement in a wide range of acts of criminality. This has no place in Northern Ireland and, where appropriate, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chipping Barnet (Mrs Villiers), and I will ensure that close working with the Justice Minister and Chief Constable continues on these issues. Those who engage in criminal activity will of course face the full force of the law.

Bed and Breakfast Accommodation

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will place in the Library copies of all replies from local councils to his letter concerning the breach of the six weeks limit on the use of bed and breakfast accommodation for families.

Mark Prisk: My right hon. Friend the Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps), wrote on a private basis to 20 local authorities concerning the breach of the six weeks limit on the use of bed and breakfast accommodation for families. I believe it is right to treat the replies on the same basis and therefore it would not be appropriate for me to place copies of all replies from those authorities in the Library of the House.

Housing Benefit

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on the minimum standard of accommodation offered by landlords to tenants on housing benefit; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 5 September 2012
	Local authorities have powers, under the Housing Act 2004, to assess the risks and hazards in all residential properties using the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. If a property is found to contain serious (category 1) hazards, the local authority has a duty to take the most appropriate action. This could range from trying to deal with the problems informally at first to prohibiting the use of the whole or part of the dwelling. This system provides an important safety net, ensuring that homes are safe and decent. This legislation applies to all residential properties, irrespective of whether any tenants claim housing benefit.
	In addition, the Localism Act contains provisions to give local authorities the flexibility to choose to offer private rented sector accommodation to homeless households, so increasing the availability of accommodation. The proposed draft Homelessness (Suitability of Accommodation) (England) Order 2012 specifies circumstances in which the private rented sector accommodation is not to be regarded as suitable. It will prevent the use of poor quality accommodation.

Incinerators

Neil Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment he has made of existing provision of incineration capacity for the disposal of municipal waste; and how the effect on capacity from proposed incineration plants will be (a) calculated and (b) judged in terms of planning decisions.

Nicholas Boles: The Government has made no recent assessment. However, in 2010 the Government published an assessment of Private Finance Initiative grants for local government funded waste treatment infrastructure, which included an analysis of likely waste arisings and treatment capacity for the purposes of meeting the 2020 EU Landfill Directive target. The Environment Agency also published in 2011 a report setting out the locations of permitted waste management facilities in England and activities they carry out.
	In line with national planning policy for waste management set out in Planning Policy Statement 10: ‘Planning for Sustainable Waste Management’, it is for local authorities, working together, to set out through their local plans their ambitions for additional waste management capacity, based on an assessment of existing and forecast waste arisings. Local authorities should then monitor arisings and review progress against their plans, to enable them to adapt to changing circumstances if required.
	Planning legislation requires decisions to be taken in line with the development plan for the area, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. Where a proposal for an energy recovery facility is consistent with an up-to-date local plan, the expectation is that permission should be granted without delay, subject to consideration of the merits of the particular planning application.

Right to Buy Scheme: Private Sector

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will give consideration to introducing a discount scheme to allow long-term private tenants to acquire a right to buy from their private landlords.

Mark Prisk: It would not be appropriate for the Government to impose a requirement on private landlords to sell rented homes to tenants. Such a move would lead to landlords withdrawing their properties from the rental market, leading to less accommodation available for rent, which would not help landlords or tenants.
	The Government is committed to helping people meet their aspiration to own their own home, and offers a range of products including NewBuy, FirstBuy and Shared Ownership.

Vulnerable Adults

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he has put in place to monitor the movement of vulnerable people between local authority areas.

Mark Prisk: In the context of homelessness, if a local authority secures accommodation in the district of another local authority, they are required by law to notify the other authority in writing within 14 days from the day the accommodation was made available to the applicant.
	We recently consulted on how best to strengthen requirements in relation to the location of accommodation via the proposed Homelessness (Suitability of Accommodation) (England) Order 2012 which will help prevent households being placed miles away from their local area. We will also be monitoring cases where a homelessness duty is ended through the Localism Act and a person becomes homeless again in their new district within two years.
	In addition, the Department collects data on the number of households in temporary accommodation in another local authority district and referrals of households with no local connection.

Serious Fraud Office

Frank Field: To ask the Attorney-General with reference to the judgement of Sir John Thomas and Mr Justice Silber of 31 July 2012, Rawlinson and Hunter Trustees SA and others v Central Criminal Court and Tchenguiz v Director of Serious Fraud Office and others, what steps he plans to take to ensure that the Serious Fraud Office has adequate human and financial resources to carry out investigations and prosecutions of serious fraud.

Dominic Grieve: The Prime Minister has previously made clear that if the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) needs more resources, it will be provided. We continue to keep this under review.
	David Green CB QC was appointed as director of the SFO in April. He has set out a new system and structure to further enhance quality control and a number of key appointments have since been made to take these changes forward.

Game: Birds

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department plans to undertake an investigation into the treatment of game birds and the shooting industry.

Richard Benyon: There are no proposals to undertake a review into the treatment of game birds or the shooting industry. The Government considers that the existing law in the form of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 provides the necessary protection for the welfare of game birds reared for sport shooting. In addition, there is also the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Game Birds Reared for Sport Shooting, which provides guidance for rearers of such birds and what they need to do to meet the welfare needs of their livestock. If anyone has any concerns about the welfare of game birds at a rearing establishment, they should report the matter to the local authority or the RSPCA.

Energy

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of the (a) regional and (b) national Herfindahl-Hirschman indices for the (i) electricity and (ii) gas supply market.

John Hayes: Ofgem's reported Herfindahl-Hirschman index (HHI) was 1,766 for the national electricity supply market and 2,560 for the gas supply market in July 2011. The regional HHI have not been calculated.
	The Government continues to work with Ofgem to improve competition in the gas and electricity markets. The Government has cut red tape to help small suppliers to compete on a more equal footing with large suppliers. We welcome the objectives of Ofgem's retail market review to boost liquidity in the wholesale electricity market and to simplify tariffs and bills.

Energy Bill

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change under what timetable he expects to achieve state aid clearance for (a) contracts for difference and (b) investment instruments; and how this timetable will affect the timetable for the passage of the Energy Bill 2012 and subsequent secondary legislation.

John Hayes: We are working closely with European Commission officials regarding our proposals. In common with other policy areas, these discussions cover whether or not state aid may be present and, if there is state aid, whether it is approvable under the treaty. Once the Government make a formal notification of their arrangements, we expect the Commission to make a decision as soon as possible, consistent with the proper exercise of its responsibilities. We do not anticipate there being any impact on the timetable for the passage of the Energy Bill or secondary legislation.

Energy Supply

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to maintain energy security and resilience.

John Hayes: holding answer 6 September 2012
	The Government has a wide range of policies to maintain energy security and resilience, based on effective market arrangements combined with robust regulation.
	For example, in order to ensure security of electricity supply, the Government has said it will legislate for a ‘Capacity Market' to ensure the UK can meet electricity demand at all times.
	To ensure gas security, Ofgem are currently carrying out their "Significant Code Review" of gas emergency arrangements, and DECC has asked Ofgem to study the case for further interventions in the gas market to ensure gas security.
	To help ensure energy resilience, the UK has robust plans and arrangements in place to reduce and mitigate against risks, such as natural hazards, accidents or threats, and to respond and recover from disruptive events should they occur, including through the use of the National Emergency Plan for Fuel and the National Emergency Plan for Downstream Gas and Electricity depending on the sector affected.
	The Government plans to publish an Energy Security Strategy in the autumn setting out these issues in more detail.

Energy: Storage

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to improve energy storage in the UK.

John Hayes: The Government is taking a range of actions to improve energy storage.
	Gas
	Ofgem are currently consulting on proposals to sharpen the incentives on gas shippers to prepare for low probability/high impact events. Their proposals, which could be implemented in time for winter 2013-14 through use of the new powers they gained through the Energy Act 2011, should help underpin commercial demand for a range of gas supply infrastructure, including storage.
	Electricity
	DECC has identified storage as one of the specific technology areas which should be supported with energy innovation funding—from the approximately £200 million allocated for the Department to support low-carbon technologies over the four financial years from April 2011.
	DECC expects to launch a scheme to support energy storage innovation soon.
	Oil
	As a member of the International Energy Agency (IEA) and EU, the UK holds emergency stocks of crude oil and petroleum products that can be released to market in the event of short-term oil supply disruptions. The EU currently requires the UK to hold 67.5 days of annual daily inland consumption.
	Heat
	DECC has launched an innovation competition to assess the performance of advanced thermal, storage, which can be integrated with heat technologies as an effective means to mitigate potential strain on the electricity grid in scenarios of increasing loads from low carbon heat technologies (such as heat pumps). DECC is currently reviewing the applications.

Gas and Electricity Markets Authority

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when his Department plans to publish a statutory strategy and policy statement on responsibilities and context for Ofgem's independent regulatory role.

John Hayes: The Government has committed to clarifying and strengthening the alignment between energy policy and regulation through a new statutory strategy and policy statement. The draft Energy Bill contains powers to designate a statutory strategy and policy statement; provisions setting out the matters the statement must contain; the duties on Ofgem and the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change in relation to the statement; and the process to be followed in designating it.
	The Energy Bill is being prepared for introduction in the autumn, subject to parliamentary time. Following Royal Assent, a two-stage consultation on the draft statement will be required, followed by parliamentary approval and designation.

Radioactive Waste

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of options for community involvement in the process of deciding on the location of a geological disposal facility for intermediate and high-activity radioactive waste; and if he will give consideration to involving communities other than the nominated prospective host communities, in cases where they have a relevant local interest such as being sited on proposed transport routes.

John Hayes: In March 2012, following a public consultation, the Department of Energy and Climate Change published a Framework for the desk-based identification and assessment of potential candidate sites for geological disposal of higher activity radioactive waste. This includes flexible provisions for engagement, with details to be agreed by local stakeholders in volunteer communities.
	The consultation material, and Framework document, are available on the DECC website:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/mrws_siting/mrws_siting.aspx
	(3) http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/consultation/ro-banding/3237-cons-ro-banding-arup-report.pdf

ELINT

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many civilian employees of his Department are involved in the analysis of ELINT data; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Francois: Electronic intelligence (ELINT) are used within the Ministry of Defence and the armed forces for a variety of purposes. We do not hold any central record of the number of civilian personnel involved in its analysis, as it may be a significant or minor part of their job.

Israel

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had meetings with members of the Israeli Government in each of the last five years.

Andrew Robathan: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Israel is an important strategic partner of the UK and, as part of that relationship, the Ministry of Defence has an ongoing and wide ranging dialogue with the Israeli Defence Force and Israeli Ministry of Defence. This engagement is in line with Her Majesty's Government policy of supporting the middle east peace process by having a balanced relationship with the Israelis and the Palestinians.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the US administration on UK involvement in the testing of mission systems for the F35 Joint Strike Fighter; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the US administration on access to data recorded from mission systems of the F35 Joint Strike Fighter during flight to allow post-flight analysis; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  pursuant to the answer of 10 July 2012, Official Report, column 202W, on military aircraft, what level of autonomy the UK will have over the operation of mission systems for the F35 Joint Strike Fighter; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: As the only Tier 1 partner who has invested $2 billion in the Lightening II development, the UK is involved in the design and development of the F35 aircraft, including its mission systems. We have ensured that the design and integration of the aircraft's mission systems meets our requirements. The UK has been directly involved with the aircraft development flight test programme and have access to data generated by the aircraft's mission systems for post flight analysis. When the aircraft enters UK service we will have full autonomy over the operation of the mission systems.

Royal Army Medical Corps

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the five year time restriction on academic qualifications for the Army Medical Corps is applicable to recruits outside Scotland.

Mark Francois: holding answer 5 September 2012
	The Royal Army Medical Corps covers a wide range of specialisms, each of which will have its own entry requirements by way of academic qualifications. Scottish educational qualifications are fully recognised as equivalent to English qualifications in the Army recruitment process.
	The Royal Army Medical Corps does not apply a five year time restriction on qualifications for entry for any recruits.

Territorial Army

Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to ensure businesses that employ Territorial Army (TA) soldiers are not adversely affected by his Army 2020 plans for increased reliance on the TA.

Mark Francois: I refer my hon. Friend to the statement made by the Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), on 5 July 2012, Official Report, column 66WS, in which he said that delivering the step-change in the size and role of Reserves will require a change in the relationship between Defence, the employer and the Reservist. Employers play a key role in enabling reservists to take their place in the defence of the nation, but we need a new framework of partnership with public and private sector employers, that gives us the confidence that trained reservist manpower will be available when it is needed. We are examining how this might work through, for instance, the ‘Partnering for Talent’ programme, which seeks to identify clear business benefits for employers who support the Reserves.
	The public sector is already a major employer of Reservists and should set an example. Cross-Government work, led by the Head of the Civil Service, is promoting the benefits of employing Reservists within Government and will take the lead on positive employer support of reservists. In addition, the Ministry of Defence works closely with the National Employers Advisory Board.
	A Green Paper, setting out our proposals, is currently being prepared in order that consultation can take place during the autumn. This consultation will enable employers of Reservists to comment to the Ministry of Defence on the desired future relationships between employers and Reservists. It is intended that a new employer engagement strategy will follow thereafter.

Food Supply

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what commitments were made at the Global Hunger Event on 12 August; and how the Government intends to follow up on those commitments.

Justine Greening: The UK Government agreed to support new schemes to improve real-time information on nutrition in developing countries, including through piloting text messaging; and committed £120 million over three years to the international agricultural research network CGIAR.
	The agricultural research community agreed to roll out new nutrient-enriched crop varieties to half a million farming households in Africa by the end of 2013.
	UK companies such as Unilever, Syngenta and GlaxoSmithKline committed to find ways to make nutritious food available to poor families at prices they can afford.
	Other commitments were made by the European Commission, the Government of India and the Children's Investment Fund Foundation.
	The UK will track these commitments through regular dialogue with partners who made commitments.

Apprentices

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many apprentices were employed by (a) his Department and (b) its principal contractors in each of the last five years.

Mark Hoban: The information is as follows:
	(a) Prior to October 2011 the DWP did not directly employ apprentices.
	In October 2011 to March 2012 DWP employed 108 apprentices between the ages of 16 and 24 from the unemployment register.
	From July 2012 DWP have employed 236 apprentices on a 12 months apprenticeship. The apprentices are between 16 and 24-years-old and were registered unemployed.
	(b) No details are held of apprentices having been employed by the DWP's principal contractors.

New Enterprise Allowance

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to extend the New Enterprise Allowance scheme beyond March 2014.

Mark Hoban: The new enterprise allowance scheme has been available across Great Britain since the end of August 2011. The support measure will run until 2013 and there are currently no plans to extend the scheme beyond that date.

New Enterprise Allowance

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what consideration he has given to extending the New Enterprise Allowance scheme to those who claim employment and support allowance.

Mark Hoban: There are no current plans to change the eligibility criteria for the new enterprise allowance.
	Self-employment can be a route off benefits for people on employment and support allowance. Other sources of support, such as enterprise clubs, may be available to them. In addition, self-employment support may be available through work choice, and work programme providers will be free to support their claimants to set up a business.

Personal Independence Payment

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many tenders were received for the contract to assess personal independence payment assessments.

Esther McVey: 10 organisations were appointed to the Health and Disability assessment services framework and were eligible to submit tenders to deliver personal independence payment assessments. On 21 May 2012 a total of 19 bids were submitted from six organisations across the four Lots. All bids received were compliant.

Social Security Benefits: Brigg

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Brigg and Goole have had their benefit withdrawn for refusing to work since May 2010.

Mark Hoban: Statistics on how many people in Brigg and Goole constituency who have had their benefit withdrawn for refusing to work since May 2010 are only available for jobseekers allowance (JSA) claimants, which are shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Number of JSA claimants in Brigg and Goole constituency who have had a sanction applied for refusing employment: 1 May 2010 to 30 April 2012 
			 Area Number of JSA claimants 
			 Brigg and Goole constituency 150 
			 Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Refusal of employment is a varied length sanction. 3. Varied Length Sanctions: A sanction of between one week and 26 weeks is imposed for leaving employment voluntarily without just cause, refusing employment without good cause, or losing employment through misconduct. The actual period in each case is at the discretion of the adjudication officer who makes the decision. 4. Geographies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant postcode directory. Boundaries are as at the reference date. Source: DWP Information, Governance and Security Directorate: JSA Sanctions and Disallowance Decisions Statistics Database. 
		
	
	Statistics on how many people in Brigg and Goole constituency have had their benefit withdrawn for refusing to work since May 2010 for non JSA claimants are not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Telephone Services

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if his Department will provide information to consumers on steps to avoid high charges for calling customer helplines operated by his Department and its public bodies from mobile telephones.

Mark Hoban: The Department's strategy is that calls to claim benefit or to request emergency payments should be free to customers, so it uses 0800 free phone numbers for these calls. The Department has secured agreements to ensure that it is free to call its 0800 numbers via nine of the UK's largest mobile phone operators, representing 95% of the mobile market. We are continuing to work with the remaining mobile phone providers to negotiate free calls to DWP 0800 numbers.
	The Department uses 0845 telephone numbers where its customers call for other reasons, and these are calls that typically take less time to resolve. The charges that apply to these calls will be set by the customer's mobile operator.
	The 0800 and 0845 numbers are clearly signposted to customers for the services that they wish to access and the service is organised so that the customer is routed to the best agent to help with their call. The Department also provides “Customer Access Phones” in a large number of its Jobcentre Plus offices where customers can make benefit claims or pursue job applications and the customer does not have to pay when using these facilities. The Department also encourages its customers to use online facilities as an alternative to calling its 0800 and 0845 services. The Department does not use any premium rate numbers.
	The Department is aware of the financial difficulties of its most vulnerable customers. A 'Call-Back' service is available on all of its 0800/0845 numbers, whereby if a caller expresses a concern about the cost of their call the operator is able to offer to call the customer back to complete the call.

Telephone Services

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of (a) the number of helplines operated by his Department and its public bodies which use 08 telephone numbers, (b) the number of calls made to such helplines in the latest period for which figures are available and (c) the total cost to consumers of such calls.

Mark Hoban: The information is as follows:
	(a) There are 88 service lines operated by the Department which use 08 numbers.
	(b) For the period 27August 2012 to 31 August 2012 there were a total of 1,308,912 calls made to these service lines, for which figures are available.
	(c) It is free to call the Department's 0800 numbers from all major landline providers. The Department has secured agreements to ensure that it is also free to call these numbers via nine of the UK's largest mobile telephone operators representing 95% of the mobile market.
	The charges that apply to calls to its 0845 numbers will vary depending on service provider, the caller's personal contract, and the time of day at which the call is made. The Department does not hold all of this information and therefore it is not possible to provide a figure for the total cost to customers of calls to 0845 numbers.
	British Telecom, the largest landline provider, does not charge for landline calls to 0845 numbers where the customer has a Call Plan and the call is made within the call plan times. Where this is not the case charges are either 2p or 4p per minute. Other landline providers charge between 3p and 10p per minute for a daytime call to an 0845 number. For calls from mobile telephones the average charge rate is around 30p per minute based on analysis of mobile call tariffs.
	Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board, Equality 2025, Industrial Injuries Advisory Council, National Employment Savings Trust, Pensions Ombudsman and the Social Security Advisory Committee do not operate 0845 telephone numbers.
	The Independent Living Fund
	(a) Number of lines using 08 numbers = 2.
	(b) Latest billing information we have is for the month of July = 3,866 total calls.
	(c) Cost of calls to consumers not known. This is determined by service providers used by callers, not ILF.
	HSE
	With the exception of an 0845 number, which is used for the telephone reporting of fatal and major injuries to Jobcentre Plus, HSE does not operate any 08 telephone numbers. This number is not a helpline and is used strictly for the reporting of fatal and major injuries to HSE, which is a legal requirement.
	The Pensions Regulator
	Calls made to the TPR helplines that use 0845 telephone numbers
	
		
			 Helpline Calls in W/C 27 August 2012 
			 0845 600 0707 (Customer Support) 135 
			 0845 600 5666 (Scheme return and Levy) 579 
			 0845 600 7060 (Whistle blowing) 6 
			 0845 600 1011 (Automatic Enrolment) 95 
		
	
	TPR does not have details of what these calls cost to the caller but has provided the following information.
	For calls offered to TPR 0845 numbers the following details regarding charges to the consumer are provided as follows:
	Ofcom lists the customer call charge for these numbers typically as being between 1p and 10.5p per minute depending on the time of day; however it is free from some BT landlines depending on their call plan. Mobile phone charges are generally higher at approximately 12p and 41p per minute.
	The Pensions Advisory Service
	Calls made to the TPAS helplines that use 0845 telephone numbers
	
		
			 Helpline Calls in W/C 27 August 2012 
			 0845 601 2923 (Pensions helpline) 740 
			 0845 600 0806 (Women and Pensions) 28 
			 0845 602 7021 (Self Employed) 5 
		
	
	TPAS does not have details of what these calls cost to the caller.
	Pensions Protection Fund
	Calls made to the PPF helplines that use 0845 telephone numbers
	
		
			 Helpline Calls in W/C 27 August 2012 Calls in August 2012 
			 0845 600 2541 (PPF—general queries) 98 702 
			 0845 603 7224 (Capita for transferred PPF members) n/a 2,683 
			 0845 604 4585 (Capita for FAS members) n/a 1,857 
		
	
	PPF do not have details of what these calls cost to the caller.
	Remploy
	Remploy does not separate out the data for 03 and 08 helpline numbers therefore the information provided relates to both 03 and 08 helpline numbers.
	(a) Remploy currently operates the following number of helpline telephone numbers:
	
		
			 Numbers Quantity 
			 0300 300 
			 0800 8 
			 0845 318 
		
	
	(b) The number of calls made to Remploy's helplines in the latest period for which figures are available is in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of calls Weeks Average per week 
			 May 2012 27,856 4 6,964 
			 June 2012 32,225 5 6,445 
			 July 2012 27,525 4 6,881 
			 Totals 87,606 13 6,739 
		
	
	The figure of 6,739 is the overall average figure for one week over the 13 week period.
	(c) Remploy does not hold any information on costs to consumers of such calls. Background information:
	Costs to consumer from BT Landline:
	0300: Local rate call/or inclusive minutes taken from tariff landline or mobile.
	0845: National rate call (costs vary if calling from mobile-provider-contract type telephone)
	0800: Free (costs vary if calling from mobile-provider-contract type telephone).

Work Capability Assessment

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will ask Atos to cease informing their health professionals of the average rate at which claimants are placed into each group following a work capability assessment.

Mark Hoban: The DWP contract with Atos Healthcare contains no targets, or expected range or distribution of advice to DWP decision makers for Work Capability Assessment outcomes. Atos Healthcare does not inform their health care professionals of average rates.

Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

Kwasi Kwarteng: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Equitable Life Payment Scheme will respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Spelthorne of 10 May 2012 on behalf of a constituent with an outstanding case.

Sajid Javid: The scheme aims to respond to all the letters it receives as promptly as possible. I have asked my HM Treasury officials to pursue this case with the scheme.

Monetary Policy

Anne Begg: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  with reference to the Bank of England's publication of the distributional analysis of the effects of quantitative easing, what discussions he has had on the effects of low gilt yields on businesses and economic growth;
	(2)  whether the Government plans to respond formally to the Bank of England's distributional analysis on the effects of quantitative easing in his autumn statement.

Greg Clark: The credibility, of the Government's fiscal plans allows the independent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to keep bank rate lower than it would otherwise have been and to deliver additional monetary stimulus through quantitative easing (QE). This has helped keep interest rates lower for families, businesses and taxpayers, which helps support economic growth. The Bank of England, in its Quarterly Bulletin published in September 2011, has found evidence of the first round of QE implemented between March 2009 and January 2012 having raised UK inflation by around 0.75 to 1.5 percentage points and real GDP by around 1. 5 to 2%.
	In line with the Treasury Committee's recommendation in its report on Budget2012 published on 18 April 2012, the Bank of England's analysis on the distributional effects of asset purchases or QE was conducted in consultation with HM Treasury.
	The Government welcomes the Bank's analysis and notes the conclusion that without asset purchases,
	“most people in the United Kingdom would have been worse off. Economic growth would have been lower. Unemployment would have been higher. Many more companies would have gone out of business. This would have had a significant detrimental impact on savers and pensioners along with every other group in society.”

Mortgages

David Hamilton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to encourage more institutions to offer mortgages for first-time buyers buying property on a shared equity basis.

Greg Clark: The Government recognises the importance of a sustainable mortgage market to support a stable housing market.
	However decisions concerning the pricing and availability of mortgages, including shared equity mortgages, remain commercial decisions for individual lenders, and the Government does not seek to intervene in these decisions.
	Treasury Ministers and officials have discussions with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. It is not the Government's practice to provide detail of such discussions.
	The Government recently announced an extension to the successful FirstBuy scheme aimed at helping first time buyers by offering an equity loan of up to 20% of the property value towards the cost of purchasing a home. FirstBuy has proven to be extremely popular and there has been strong demand. We recognise the continued challenges first time buyers are facing and therefore have extended the scheme, providing a further £280 million to help a further 16,500 households by March 2014.

Revenue and Customs

Bob Russell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy that correspondence issued by HM Revenue and Customs which contains date-related penalties (a) is despatched on the same date as is given on the letter and (b) is posted first class.

David Gauke: Penalties exist to encourage taxpayers to comply with their legal obligations. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) aims to date correspondence on the day that it is issued and does so wherever possible. HMRC are aware of some exceptions and are working to address this.
	HMRC uses 2nd class postage as this represents the best value in terms of cost and service for taxpayers.

Revenue and Customs: Nurseries

Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the total number of childcare places provided is at HM Revenue and Customs buildings; and how this has changed over the last two years;
	(2)  what the cost of current provisions of childcare is on HM Revenue and Customs estates; and how this has changed over the last two years;
	(3)  how many fewer childcare places will be provided on HM Revenue and Customs estates as a result of the decision to close Bright Horizon nurseries on HM Revenue and Customs estates; and how many places will be lost in each of the eight nurseries affected;
	(4)  what the cost will be of providing childcare places on HM Revenue and Customs estates once the decision to close Bright Horizon nurseries on HM Revenue and Customs estates takes effect;
	(5)  what the total number of childcare places on HM Revenue and Customs estates will be once the decision to close Bright Horizon nurseries on HM Revenue and Customs estates takes effect.

David Gauke: Child care provision on HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) estate is managed by HMRC's private finance initiative (PFI) estate partner Mapeley and separately by Interserve FM on HMRC's Newcastle PFI estate, with the contracts being held between the PFI partner/service provider and the nursery provider. The cost of the provision of child care incurred under these contracts and the subsequent cost of child care to parents forms part of the commercial arrangements of the parties involved and is therefore commercially sensitive.
	Under the terms of the contracts for childcare provision, HMRC bears the cost of the accommodation used in its buildings. These costs are included in the overall PFI unitary charge for each of the buildings and cannot be disclosed on the grounds of commercial sensitivity.
	Information on the number of child care places is provided in the following table.
	
		
			   Number 
			 Total number of child care places provided in HMRC buildings  471 
			    
			 Changes in the last two years Reduction of 62 places due to the closure of two nurseries — 
			    
			 Reduction in child care places following closure of Bright Horizons nurseries in HMRC buildings Castle Meadow Nottingham 50 
			  Chaucers Walk Blackburn 38 
			  Deansgate Wolverhampton 25 
			  Hectors House East Kilbride 59 
			  Peter Bennett House Leeds 40 
			  Cheeky Cherubs Salford 45 
			  Little Nippers Leicester 33 
			  First Friends Cardiff 60 
			  Total 350 
			    
			 Total number of child care places in HMRC buildings following the closure of Bright Horizons nurseries  121

Apprentices: Liverpool

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many residents of Liverpool, Walton constituency have secured apprenticeships in each year since 1997.

Matthew Hancock: Table 1 shows the number of apprenticeship programme starts in Liverpool, Walton parliamentary constituency between 2005/06 to 2010/11 academic year. Data for 2005/06 is the earliest year for which comparable sub-national data are available and data for 2010/11 is the latest year for which final data are available.
	
		
			 Table 1: Apprenticeship programme starts in Liverpool, Walton parliamentary constituency 2005/06 to 2010/11. 
			  Liverpool Walton parliamentary constituency 
			 2005/06 530 
			 2006/07 630 
			 2007/08 760 
			 2008/09 660 
			 2009/10 900 
		
	
	
		
			 2010/11 1,550 
			 Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Geography is based on the home postcode of the learner. Geographic information is based on boundaries of regions as of May 2010. Source: Individualised Learner Record 
		
	
	Information on the number of apprenticeship starts by parliamentary constituency is published in a supplementary table to a quarterly Statistical First Release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 28 June 2012
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_supplementary_tables/Apprenticeship_sfr_supplementary_tables/

Business: Government Assistance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many businesses have been supported under the Growth Accelerator Programme; what the average level of financial assistance has been per business; and what sectors those businesses are in.

Michael Fallon: The Growth Accelerator was formally launched in late May this year and at the end of August, over 2,400 eligible businesses have registered interest in the programme, with 663 now being supported by it. These businesses cover the full range of sectors found in the UK economy, including, but not limited to:
	Automotive
	Business Services
	Energy
	Environmental Services
	Food and Drink
	Information Technology
	Logistics
	Machinery and equipment
	Media
	Retail
	Growth Accelerator provides bespoke packages of support to businesses based on their particular barriers to growth rather than direct financial support. This support includes high quality coaching, masterclasses, leadership and management training and peer group support as well as access to external support that they need (e.g. export advice, angel investment, access to incubators etc.). The initial average value of the coaching, masterclasses and leadership and management training is c£5,100. This is expected to increase as European Development Funding (ERDF) and private sector contributions to the programme are secured.

EU Internal Trade

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take steps to make the UK economy less reliant on trade with the EU.

Jo Swinson: Businesses are ultimately responsible for deciding who they trade with—it is not for the Government to determine the international trading positions of companies looking to export to or import from other countries.
	The EU is our largest trading partner in terms of both exports and imports, accounting for 47% and 51% respectively.(1) The single market provides British-based companies customs- and tariff-free access to a market that consists of 500 million consumers(2). Continuing to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the single market will be important to maintaining UK competitiveness both in the EU and in global markets more broadly. However, this does not mean neglecting trade opportunities outside of the EU including fast-growing market such as Brazil, Russia, India and China. The UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) corporate strategy, launched in March 2011, supports this objective. To underpin the importance to the UK economy of exploiting opportunities to export to all global markets to UK growth, the Government also announced, in Budget 2012, an ambition to more than double annual UK exports to £1 trillion by 2020.
	(1) http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/bop/united-kingdom-balance-of-payments/2012/index.html
	(2)http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/table.do?tab=table &language=en&pcode=tps00001&tableSelection= 1&footnotes=yes&labeling=lables&plugin=I

EU Law

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to reduce regulation in the EU.

Michael Fallon: The Government is committed to addressing the overall burden on business of EU regulation. We have formed an alliance of like-minded member states on EU better regulation, and succeeded in ensuring that the EU Compact for Jobs and Growth adopted by the European Council in June explicitly highlights the need to reduce the overall EU regulatory burden. We are now pressing the European Commission to bring forward a new programme to reduce unnecessary costs to business by addressing the overall EU regulatory burden, when the current EU administrative burdens reduction exercise comes to an end at the end of the year.
	We have already secured a commitment from the Commission last November that micro-businesses will be exempted from future EU legislation unless there are compelling reasons to include them. In parallel, the Commission has also committed to examine existing and forthcoming EU legislation for further opportunities to lighten the burden on small businesses. We will be holding the Commission to account on these commitments, and have already achieved agreement in Brussels to exempt up to 1.4 million UK small businesses from certain EU accounting rules.
	We continue to press all the EU institutions to live up to their commitments to reduce burdens on business, and following UK lobbying, the European Parliament has created a unit to assess the costs and benefits of the amendments it makes to Commission proposals.

Graduates: Work Experience

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the average length is of unpaid internship positions advertised on the Government's Graduate Talent Pool website.

David Willetts: Of the 55 unpaid vacancies advertised on the Graduate Talent Pool website during August 2012, 92% specified the length of internship. 37% of these specified a period of up to one month, 45% between two to three months, 12% between four to six months and 6% between seven to 12 months.

London Metropolitan University

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials of his Department had (1) with (i) Ministers and officials from the Home Department and (ii) officials from the UK Border Agency between 1 July and 28 August 2012 to discuss the highly trusted sponsor status of London Metropolitan University;
	(2)  with the Vice-Chancellor of London Metropolitan University between 1 July and 28 August 2012 to discuss the University's highly trusted sponsor status.

David Willetts: No meetings have been held between Ministers or officials in this Department to discuss the highly trusted sponsor status of London Metropolitan university.

London Metropolitan University

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many outstanding loans the Higher Education Funding Council has with London Metropolitan University; what repayments have been made of those loans; and what repayments of previous over-payments to that university have been made since 2010.

David Willetts: holding answer 7 September 2012
	The University has one recoverable grant with the Higher Education Funding Council (HEFCE) totalling £4 million outstanding as at 1 September 2012. In addition, HEFCE will be recovering £18.8 million in relation to previous over-payments over the next two years. Between April 2010 and August 2012 HEFCE adjusted the University's grant by £2.1 million in relation to a recoverable grant and £23.8 million in relation to previous over-payments.

Pharmaceutical Industry

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to (a) maintain and (b) enhance the competitiveness of the UK as a location for the global pharmaceutical industry; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: On 5 December 2011, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, launched the “Strategy for UK Life Sciences” which builds on many of the actions of the Growth Review. The strategy was launched alongside “Innovation Health and Wealth—Accelerating Adoption and Diffusion in the National Health Service
	(NHS)” by the NHS chief executive. Together they contain radical actions to enhance the competitiveness of the UK as a global hub for life sciences, including the pharmaceutical sector.
	In implementing the strategy, the Government have focused on five key themes: research clusters and collaborations; open data; improving the environment, including for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs); global marketing of the UK; and skills, talent and workforce.
	Details of progress to date in implementing the strategy were sent to stakeholders in a letter dated 20 August 2012. The letter was published on the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills website at:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/innovation/docs/l/12-1123-life-sciences-strategy-update-august-2012

Postal Services

Anna Soubry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to ensure that Post Office Ltd receives Government front desk contracts.

Jo Swinson: The Department has made a significant financial commitment of £1.34 billion over the current spending period to sustain and modernise the post office network, helping to ensure it can meet the future requirements of its customers, and has made an additional commitment that there will be no programme of closures.
	Alongside these commitments, Post Office Ltd has set out its ambition to provide more services on behalf of central and local Government. Recognising that the company operates commercially at arm's length from Government, we have been absolutely clear, not least through the investment we are making, that we support Post Office Ltd in their ambition. The Department or agency responsible for a particular service will decide how best to deliver that service and Government must, of course, procure its services from other providers in line with EU procurement regulations.

Students: Finance

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many professional or career development loans were taken up in each academic year since 2001-02; and what the average loan amount was in each such year.

David Willetts: Management information from 2009-10 indicates the following:
	
		
			 Financial year Loan take-up Average loan value (rounded) (£) 
			 2009-10 8,320 6,700 
			 2010-11 7,679 7,000 
			 2011-12 8,884 (1)— 
			 (1) Not yet available. 
		
	
	Data is recorded across financial years, rather than academic years, in line with the management of departmental budgets.
	Data on career development loans (subsequently professional and career development loans from July 2009) shows that 140,750 career development loans were taken up between 1998 and 2008. These equated to a total value of £624 million. Information is not available on an annual basis and it is therefore not possible to derive an average annual loan amount for these years.

Students: Finance

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students were granted professional or career development loans in each academic year since 2001-02.

David Willetts: Since the introduction of professional and career development loans in July 2009, the Department has collected data on the number of loan applications accepted by the banks in each financial year:
	
		
			 Financial year Number of PCDLS offered 
			 2009-10 12,239 
			 2010-11 8,333 
			 2011-12 10,105 
		
	
	Data collection on the number of career development loans offered by the participating banks was previously not part of the programme's contractual audit requirements with the banks. Information is therefore not available on the number of students granted loans prior to 2009.

Hospital Wards: Gender

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent progress he has made towards eliminating mixed-sex accommodation at hospitals in London; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: In hospitals within London Strategic Health Authority, breaches of the rules on mixed-sex accommodation fell from 2,679 in December 2010 (when compulsory reporting began) to 159 in July 2012 (the lowest yet recorded).
	The Government remains determined to end the indignity of patients staying in mixed-sex accommodation, except where it is clearly in their best interests to do so. The latest national figures show that breaches have fallen from nearly 12,000 in December 2010 to 249 in July 2012.
	Despite this huge improvement, every unjustified breach is one too many. We will continue to publish regular and reliable data about how every hospital is performing and those hospitals that have still to tackle the problem will continue to face fines of £250 for every breach.

Tobacco: Packaging

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the evidence base was for the statements made in paragraph 78 of the impact assessment (number 3080) accompanying the Standardised Packaging for Tobacco Products consultation.

Anna Soubry: The impact assessment (IA), published alongside the ‘Consultation on standardised packaging of tobacco products’, is a consultation-stage IA, developed to inform responses to the consultation. It sets out the Government's initial approach to identifying the potential impacts of the policy, if it were to be adopted.
	The Government has an open mind on standardised packaging for tobacco and, through the consultation, wants to understand whether there is evidence to demonstrate that the standardised packaging of tobacco products would have an additional public health benefit, over and above existing tobacco control initiatives.
	The IA includes references to appropriate evidence used to inform its development. Questions were included within the IA and consultation document which highlight the specific areas where further evidence is sought, in order to better understand the likely costs and benefits if standardised packaging were introduced.

Government Departments: Billing

Laura Sandys: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress his Department is making in improving the speed of payments to businesses by Government Departments.

Francis Maude: Good progress is being made.
	There is already a requirement in central Government for Departments to pay 80% of undisputed invoices within five days, and to pass 30 day payment terms down supply chains. Departments are required to monitor prime contractors' performance against the 30 day commitment to pay sub contractors as part of the contract management process.
	We are also encouraging prime and sub-contractors to use the 'Mystery Shopper' service to report to Government instances where prompt payment is not happening; and we regularly publish investigated cases on the Cabinet Office website.
	I stressed the importance of this policy to the chief executive officers of some of the most significant suppliers to Government at a meeting held in June. Our Crown representative team is encouraging prime contractors to pay sub-contractors more quickly than the 30 days commitment on a voluntary basis.

Government Departments: Procurement

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent progress the Government has made on the elimination of pre-qualification questionnaires for central Government procurement below £100,000.

Francis Maude: Since May 2010, Government has made good progress at streamlining its procurement process.
	15 out of 17 central Government Departments have confirmed that they have eliminated the use of pre-qualification questionnaires (PQQs) for procurements below £100,000. Work is under way with the two remaining Departments to implement necessary changes to their pre-qualification processes; these Departments have additional security requirements to consider.

Government Departments: Procurement

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of procurement that was contracted to small businesses was to consultants in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Francis Maude: Since January 2011, as part of this Government's transparency programme central Government Departments have been required to publish on Contracts Finder information on the contracts they award:
	www.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/
	Spend with SMEs has dramatically increased since 2010 and last year alone spend with consultancy was down by £870 million. We don't hold information on the proportion of small businesses which are consultants.

Government Departments: Sustainable Development

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress he has made in holding Government Departments to account for their commitment to sustainable development through the quarterly business plan review process.

Oliver Letwin: Departmental business plans were updated in May 2012. The refreshed documents set out Departments' contributions to sustainable development, including relevant actions in their structural reform plans (SRPs) and a dedicated section with further commitments in the annex.
	Through the business plan review process I am encouraging Departments to deliver on their commitments to mainstream the principles of sustainable development into their core business, both in their policy making and their operations and procurement. Departments are also now, for the first time, required to report on sustainable development in their annual reports and accounts, providing more openness about actual progress made. It is of course for each Department individually to decide how they will implement their sustainable development commitments; I am using the review meetings to discuss progress and address issues with the implementation of these commitments.
	Progress on Departments' SRP commitments is regularly published on the No. 10 transparency website
	http://transparency.number10.gov.uk
	A cross Government progress report on sustainable development will be published in February 2013.